Pakistan confirms two diplomats missing in Nangarhar

AT Monitoring Desk-KABUL: The Foreign Affairs Ministry of Pakistan on Sunday confirmed that two of its Jalalabad-based Consulate General officials have gone missing.

According to the statement issued by the Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, the diplomats were on their way to their homeland, Pakistan on Friday, June 16th by car when they went missing.

“The matter has been raised with the relevant Afghan authorities for their safety and recovery at the earliest,” the statement noted.

“Pakistan has requested the Afghan government that all efforts may be made to ensure early recovery of our officials and bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice,” the statement added.

The Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman has furthered that the Afghan authorities informed that all efforts were in hand to probe the unpleasant incident and three distinct investigating groups have been constituted, aimed at safe and early recovery of the officials.

Ataullah Khogyani, the spokesperson for the provincial governor of Nangarhar said the Pakistani diplomats were on their way to Peshawar on Friday morning when they were disappeared while using the Jalalabad-Torkham route.

Moreover, while talking to Xinhua news, Afghan envoy to Islamabad Dr. Omer Zakhilwal has been quoted by Meher news agency as saying, “Yes I am aware of it and so are our relevant institutions. They are searching for the missing officials.”

In addition to that, a foreign national working as a adviser for agricultural, irrigation and livestock ministry was kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Capital-Kabul on Sunday afternoon.

Kabul police chief’s spokesperson also confirmed the incident and said the kidnapped foreigner may be an African.